1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric connector configured such that first and second connectors are fitted to each other in a direction approximately perpendicular to a multipolar arrangement direction of conductive terminals (contacts).
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, in various electric apparatuses, it has been widely performed to connect a plurality of coaxial cables, a flexible circuit board, or the like to a printed circuit board via a pair of electric connectors configured to allow fitting connection to each other. As the pair of electric connectors, for example, a receptacle connector (first connector) mounted on a printed circuit board and a plug connector (second connector) fitted to the receptacle connector are used. In a state in which end portions of a plurality of coaxial cables, an end portion of a flexible circuit board, or the like are joined to the plug connector, the plug connector is fitted in the receptacle connector.
Regarding the pair of electric connectors thus configured to allow mutual fitting, for example, as disclosed in JP-A-2002-280102, there has been conventionally known a vertically-fitting type electric connector in which the above-described plug connector is plugged and fitted in a direction approximately perpendicular to a multipolar arrangement direction of conductive terminals (contacts), namely, in a direction approximately perpendicular to a plane of the printed circuit board mounted with the receptacle connector.
However, also in such a vertically-fitting type electric connector, lowering in height and downsizing have been rapidly promoted as in the case of another electric connector, since space allowing displacement of conductive terminals at a fitting time is reduced so that contact pressure of the conductive terminals is lowered, which may result in a problem in contact reliability which is the most fundamental performance required for an electric connector.
Further, in a recent electric connector, for the purpose of preventing malfunction of an apparatus due to noise according to increase in speed of an electric signal, reducing influence of electromagnetic waves on the human body, and the like, improvement of properties of electromagnetic interference (EMI) and electrostatic discharge (ESD) is an urgent need. However, in a general electric connector, for example, as disclosed in JP-A-2005-302417, since a conductive shell covering an insulating housing has no arrangement relationship with conductive terminals, sufficient properties of electromagnetic interference (EMI) and electrostatic discharge (ESD) cannot be obtained in the present circumstances.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an electric connector which can maintain contact reliability of conductive terminals well and simultaneously can achieve improvement of properties of electromagnetic interference (EMI) and electrostatic discharge (ESD) even if being lowered in height and downsized.